THE 5th WAVE

US, 2015, 112 minutes, Colour.
Chloe Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Alex Roe, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Zackary Arthur, Maria, Maika Monroe, Liev Schreiber.
Directed by J Blakeson.


One of the advantages of the press preview for The 5th Wave was finding that there were quite a number of the target audience sitting amongst us. Penguin Publications had still on the screen before the film, highlighting and that this was a Teen publication. Although we have become used to the phrase, Young Adult literature, this film reminds us that The Hunger Games series, the Divergency stories, with Katnis or with Tris as the revolutionaries, books and films, are more geared to 20 (+ or -) age group. But there are other stories, like Tomorrow When the War Began and this one which are more for 15 (+ or -) audiences. We were able to tell how the film was going by laughter, exclamations, listening to sympathy feelings that the target audience was enjoying The 5th Wave.

This is futuristic story, yet another alien invasion from outer space, remembering War of the Worlds, Independence Day and any number of such stories. It seems the aliens, The Others, attack Earth in waves, although there is a huge spaceship hovering over central Ohio – it seems that crises always come to a head in the United States rather than elsewhere in the world, which means that Tomorrow when the War Began with its Australian setting stands out.

There is a short, dramatic prologue to make us uneasy but then we go back. It all seems quite a normal day, Cassie, the central character, is at school, at soccer practice with her friend, Elizabeth, looking at her phone, sent off by the coach, and then everyone is poring over their phones, alarmed at the hovering spacecraft.

Then there is the first wave of attack, the blocking or power and energy, cars crashing, planes falling out of the sky. Panic and evacuations. Then it gets worse with the second, literal wave, a tsunami that crashes into the American coast and, according to the screenplay, overwhelms coastal areas although we are shown a huge wave swamping Bangkok and coming up the Thames overwhelming London Bridge. An infection is the third way, quarantine and many deaths.

By this stage we have got to know Cassie, played effectively by Chloe Grace Moretz, who is left behind when her brother is taken with many children to the military headquarters. She has to make her way through the countryside, using her wits. She is shot and wounded and then cared for by a mysterious young man Even Walker (Alex Roe). In the meantime, the children are being used as soldiers to confront The Others, under the command of Vosch (Live Schreiber). It means that that the children are being trained, especially Ben (Nick Robinson),a boy Cassie liked at school and whom she wrote about in her diary…

Eventually, we realise what the fifth wave consists of and there is a build-up to an explosive confrontation and the children using their wits and their ability to prevail – and we are left wondering what the next film in the trilogy of books, written by Rick Yancy, will take us and what kind of world it will be (like the Divergency world, like the Maze Runner, like The Giver…?

1. Science fiction for the teenage audience? Apocalyptic? The future? Alien invasion? Teenage heroes?

2. The title, the tone, the situation on earth, the invasion from the planets, the Others, the invasion, the threat to earth, the different waves? The fifth way, the Others infiltrating human form, using the children to destroy the adult humans?

3. The setting, the ordinary American town, Ohio? Homes and families, jobs, school and friends, sports practice? Everybody on the phones, information about the invasion?

4. Action, stunt work, special effects, the vehicle of the Others hovering over the town? The military training, the military action? Explosions? The musical score?

5. The prologue, Cassie, the desolation, crossing the street, her gun, into the Food Store, the man, the gun, reaching, her shooting him, his cross? The narrative flashing back?

6. Cassie and her story, love for her parents, their care, protecting Sam, singing to him as he went to sleep? His bear? Her writing in the journal, the friendship with Elizabeth, comments about Ben? Football? At school, the ordinary day, the soccer practice, the phones, hurrying home? The noise, the invasion, the spacecraft? People evacuating, hurrying to centres?

7. The stopping of all electricity, motors, the crashes on the highway, the plane falling out of the sky? No phones? The next waves and their destruction, tsunamis the American coast, Thailand, London Bridge? The third wave, the infection, the isolation, the wearing of masks, the mother and her work, her death, at the cemetery? Elizabeth, in isolation, so many deaths?

8. The arrival of the military? The Vosch and his command, plausible? Separating the children from the adults, Cassie’s father and the choice? Sam not wanting to go, his bear, Cassie being left behind? Her getting the bear, running after the bus? Her father giving her the gun? Her getting the further weapons? The narrative going back to the start of the film?

9. Cassie, in the wild, the survival, using her wits? On the freeway, the cars and the bodies? Her being fired at, wounded, under the car? Waking up, rescued, Evan Walker and his looking after her, his pleasant manner, her suspicions, his looking after her wounds? His explanation of the snipers? His reading her diary and his comments on it, reaction? Their leaving together, camping, the attraction? His admitting the truth, that he was a sleeper, that he was both Other and human? Cassie’s reaction, escaping, going to the military centre?

10. The children, at the centre, their being recruited to fight against the Others? The focus on Ben, Sgt Reznik, her plausible story, explanations, his using the classes, seeing the growth in the alleged Other, pressing the button? The military uniforms, instructions by Vosch, the others in the group, their personalities, age, becoming warriors, boys and girls?

11. The arrival of Ringer, her stances, tough, spurning the boys, confronting Ben? Her reaction to the sexist remarks, hitting the insulting boy on his Adam’s apple?

12. The group going out on a mission, the group being outnumbered, the realisation of the truth? That the children were the fifth wave? That they would destroy the adult humans? That the military were The Others? The plan, Ben and his being wounded, taking out the inserts and trackers?

13. Ben, his return to base, the interview with Bosch? His wound? Telling the truth, the confrontation between them?

14. Cassie, her being taken, with Sgt Reznik, the process, attacking Reznik, escaping, the guns, the confrontation with the guards, this is, finding Sam?

15. Evan, his setting up the bombs, the control room? His option to be human, supporting Cassie? Being reunited with Ben? Evan interested to see Ben because of his reading about him in Cassie’s journey?

16. The military and the planes, helicopters, plans for escape, the explosions, Cassie, Ben and Sam, forming a group, the final confrontation?

17. Anticipation of a sequel?